Toy



Aug. 21, 1945. E. ELLIOTT TOY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 30, 1943 Fir-3 v L.a'i"%31t B a. 16ml, IQTORNEY 1945. L. E. ELLIOTT 2,382,982

TOY

Filed March 30, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR B LEEHLOUL flh afliamt I ITORNEY Patented Aug. 21, 1945 OFFICE TOY Lyle n. Elliott, li'it t'tlefiteek, Mich. Application March so, 1943, Serial No. 481,070

40mins. (01. 4 -16) The present invention relates broadly to toys,

A very few of these black and in its specific phases to wheeled toys utilizing and firmly hold them together. The use of blocks and tight-fitting pegs for joining them together is, feasible for older children, but with younger children, it practically prevents full effective use of the'toys, and yetthis fundamental principle has been completely overlooked so far as wheeled block toys are concerned. The provision of a block toy mounted on Wheels and utilizing loosefitting pegs to hold the'blocks in place, provides an ideal and highly interesting toy for both young and older children to play with.

Accordingly among the objects of the present invention is the provision of a wheeled top utilizing loose-fitting pegs to hold a plurality of blocks in place thereon.

Another object is to provide a wheeled toy with blocks mounted thereon, wherein at least partof the blocks are held in place through the use of a plurality ofloose-fitting pegs per block.

Another object is to provide a wheeled toy with interchangeable card-like side members for depicting different things.

Another objectis to create a wheeled block toy unit which can be readily altered from one definite type of construction to another by variation of the blocks mounted on the wheeled portion of the combination.

' Still further objects and advantages of the present invention will appear as the description proceeds.

v To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention, then, consists of, the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the annexed draw.-

7 ings and the following description setting forth "Figure. 3 shows a top view of a boat-shaped wheeled member.

' Figures 4', 5 and 6 show, On a reduced scale. blocks]. suitablefor use as stern, middle, and bow blocks of the wheeled member shown in Figur 3.

Figurefi shows a side elevational. view of an assembly of blocks on the wheeled member of Figure 3', and depicting a gun boat construction.

Figure 8 shows a three-deck block with two vertical peg; holes for mounting on the wheeled body members typically illustrated in Figures 2 and 3.

Figures 9, 10 and 11 show three other styles of blocks with a peg projecting from each to diagrammatically show the use together of pegs and blocks.

Figure 12shows a side elevational view of another form of the present invention which imitates. a circuswagon.

Figure 13 is a sectional view as taken along line 13-43 of Figurev 12 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Toys of the structural type have long been considered beneficial to a child's welfare and training for the reason that they not only amuse. him, but are educational, act'to familiarize him with various objects, and develop his imagination by training him to position the blocks so as to obtain different assembly combinations. The present invention was devised in a large measure with this in mind, as well as to produce a wheeled structural toy which can be readily assembled and disassembled by small children to' produce various combinations, such as trucks, tanks, boats, war ships, circus wagons, locomotives, et cetera, each of which may be readily converted from one to another by the simple substitution of parts. Only a few of the various sizes and shapes of blocks .usable with. the present invention have been shown, but it is intended that these will diagrammatically illustrate the multitude of different blocks usable according'to the principles of the, present invention. v I

Referring more particularly to the drawings, Figure 2 shows a wheeled assembly I having a body 2, axles 3 and 4, and wheels 5 held in place by means of pins 6. This wheeled member is preferably provided with a connector I and pullin member 8 to facilitate use by children. The body 2 of the wheeled assembly is provided with a plurality of holes 9 in its upper face. These holes are preferably in, line, equally spaced apart, and extend a distance into the body just short of passing therethrough. The use of holes of histype permits the insertion. of loose pegs thereinto without th necessity of fastening same permanently in place or using pegs which tightly fit the holes involved. The invention, however, is not limited to the use of blind holes, although that is the preferable construction. Pegs of different lengths may be mounted in holes 9 and same is illustrated in Figure 1 wherein two short pegs l0, and four longer pegs H are illustrated. The two short pegs fit into holes I2 and I3 of block I and do not project therefrom, a. thing which does not interfere with the outline of the assembly, although projecting pegs may be used if desired. The longer pegs ll extend upward through blocks l5 and project sufllciently thereabove to join blocks I6 and I1 thereto, thus producing through the use of double-decked blocks, th outline of a truck. The use of different shaped blocks may be utilized in lik manner to produce different appearing assemblies, all of' which it is intended will be covered by the diagrammatic showing of Figure 1. The use of two pegs per block as shown in Figure 1 presents the advantage of holding the blocks in place without rotation difficulties, and by having the pegs loosely fit the holes through the blocks, the assembly of same is made simple and easy for even a small child to accomplish.

While a substantially rectangular body memher is satisfactory for many purposes, it may be desired to more closely simulate a boat or the like, and in that case a boat shaped body member 2a (Figure 3) may be used to advantage. Blocks may be mounted on body 2a to provide further elements of the boat assembly and three of these blocksare shown in reduced size in Figures 4, 5 and 6. One of the many types of boat constructions which can be made by utilizing the wheeled body member of Figure 4 is shown in Figure 7. This construction utilizes'a prow block l8 mounted on body member 2a by means of two loose pegs l9 and 20, the first of which extends approximately to thetop of the prow block I! while the second one extends upward substantially to the top of a turret block 2|, which has a pair of pegs 22 projecting therefrom to simulate a gun turret. Mounting the gun turrat in this manner permitsthe rotation of same, and hence a more realistic appearance. Openlugs 23 in block 2| may be considered as port holes or openings into which an additional peg or pegs (not illustrated) may be inserted to simulate a gun or guns. Directly behind prow block I8 may be mounted block.24 which in turn may carry an extending lookout turret member 25. While blocks 24 and 25 may be joined to body member 2a. with a. series of short pegs extending from block to block, a single long peg 26 may be used in equivalent manner if desired. Directly back of block 24 may be mounted elongated block 21 connected by two loose pegs 28 .to body member 2a, and if desired, these two pegs may project above block 21 and have short smoke stack blocks 29 mounted thereon. ,Difierent height blocks may be used in the combination, and a thinner block 30 connected by pegs 3| and 32 to body member 2a may be mounted back of block 21 if desired. Block 30 maybe provided with a rearwardly directed peg 33 simulating a gun. Peg 32, if'desired, may extend upward above the top of block 30 to simulate an aerial mast for the assembly. The assembly as shown in Figure '7 may be varied over a, wide range without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For instance, block '21 may have block 34 (Figure 8) substituted therefor so as to give a three-level appearance from which smoke stack blocks 29 extend.

Another form of the present invention is illustrated in Figures 12 and 13. In this construction, the body member 217 of the wheeled assembly may have turned-up side flanges 35 between which a block 36 is adapted to set. Above block 36 may be mounted a top member 31 with downturned side flanges 38. By making block 36 a little narrower than the distance between flanges of both top member 31 and body member 221, cards 39, or the like, may he slipped into place on both sides of block 36 and held by the flanges.

an animal in a cage, wherein the whole assembly thus illustrates a circus wagon. Elongated loose pegs 40 may be used to join block 36 and top member 31 to body member 2b, and if desired, these loose pegs may extend above top member 31 and be provided with a slot 41 for the insertion of flag members 42.

The combination of a wheeled member with blocks and loose pegs thus makes possible the ready formation of various appearing toy assemblies of deflnite design which are practical and instructive. Toys made in this manner are relatively rugged, a thing which increases their utility and life.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of those explained, change being made as regards the articles and combinations herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and di stin'otly claim as my invention:

1. A toy, which comprises a body member with upturned flange side edges, a top member with down-turned flange side edges, a block between said body member and said top member, removable means at each side of said block, said removable means being a plurality of like dimensioned members, the combined'thickness of which together with that of the block substantially equals the distance between the flanges, and said movable means being substantially the same height as said block and held in place by said flanges.

2. A wheeled toy, which comprises the combination of a block, a pair ofupper and a pair of lower flange-like means extending toward each other at opposite sides of said block, removable card-like members mountable on opposite sides of said block, there being suflicient space between said extending flange-like members and the respelctive adjacent faces of said block to receive and hold the edges of said card-like members, wheels, and means for mounting said wheels on said toy.

3. A toy, which comprises a body member with upturned flange side edges, a top member with down-turned flange side edges, a block between said body member and said top member, said block and top member having axially aligned holes therethrough, a pair of pegs extending upward out or said body member through the openings of said block and top member, said pegs loosely fitting said holes to facilitate assembly, and removable card-like members at each side of said block being like dimensioned, the combined thickness of the card-like members and the thickness of the block being substantially equal to the distance between the flanges, said removable card-like members being held in place by said flanges.

4. A toy, which comprises a body member with upturned flange side edges, wheels and means for mounting same on said body member, a top member with downturned flange side edges, a block between said body member and said top member, said block and top member having axially aligned holes therethrough, a pair of pegs extending upward out of said body member through said block and top member, said pegs loosely fitting said holes to facilitate assembly, the upper end of said pegs being slotted, pennant members fitting said slots, and removable card-like members at each side of said block being like dimensioned, the combined thickness of the card-like members and the thickness of the block being substantially equal to; the distance between the flanges, said removable card-like members fitting into the space between said flanges and the corresponding sides of said block.

LYLE E. ELLIOTT. 

